After drawing this Saturday at Anfield against Aston Villa (1-1), Liverpool saw their chances of being in the next Champions League almost completely evaporate, on the 37th date of the Premier League, while Tottenham could stay out of any European competition.
In Liverpool there was a bittersweet goodbye for Roberto Firmino. The Brazilian, a member of Liverpool’s magical triplet with Sadio Mané and Mohamed Salah, did not have the desired farewell to what was his stadium in recent years despite the goal scored for his team.
After coming into play in the 72nd minute for Luis Díaz, ‘Bobby’ dived to the ground at the near post to cut a cross with Salah’s outside one minute from the end of regulation time to establish the final 1-1.
But with 66 points and one game to play, Liverpool, 5th, will need a miracle to get past Manchester United (4th) or Newcastle (3rd), who have three more points and one game less.
Unai Emery’s ‘Villains’ (7th), for their part, add a point that brings them closer to the Europa Conference League. Jacob Ramsey scored in the 22nd minute the goal that put the Birmingham team ahead against some ‘Reds’ who had seven consecutive victories.
And a superb action by the Brazilian Casemiro allowed Manchester United to win 1-0 at Bournemouth (14th) and get even closer to the Champions League.
With 69 points, the ‘Red Devils’ only need one more to seal their ticket, and they have two games left at home, against Chelsea and Fulham, two teams that do not play anything.
After losing their fifth game in the last seven days, 3-1 against Brentford (9th), Tottenham (8th) have not only been left out of the fight to get into the next Champions League, but also one day away from the end of the championship, he is not even sure about his participation in European competitions.
Only two victories in the last ten days of the Premier League and 9 out of 30 possible points… The end of the season is getting very long for the ‘Spurs’, who this Saturday lost at home against a direct rival in the fight for Europe.
Harry Kane opened the scoring shortly after the match began, with the captain’s 28th goal in the Premier, but Brentford ended up coming back from behind in the second half with goals from Bryan Mbeumo (50 and 62) and Yoane Wissa (88).